Murals
by zeldawave
Summary: Link visits Castle Town to express how much he misses his best friend, Midna. [I initially posted this in 2013 on DeviantArt, so please bear with any poor writing. I'm keeping it here to learn from and remember my past writing!]


Link scuddled out onto the porch of his treehouse, silently shutting the door. The night sky was graying above as morning inched nearer, and below, Epona scratched at the scanty grass beneath her hooves. Link hopped quietly to ground level. He gently stroked the dusty brown horse to soothe her. Taking Epona's reins tenderly, the hero led her down the path to Ordon Spring.

The shimmering sound of fairies met his ears as he passed, but Link didn't look up. As dawn drew ever closer, the village would be waking up. The children would come and force him into play, and he would be expected at the ranch for herding. It was time to leave. As his boots clanked on the bridge into Faron, the image of the black wall of darkness that once stood there flooded his mind. The orange rune-like symbols it bore would forever be emblazoned into his memory. Midna's voice, her playful laughter, the sound of the Mirror crashing apart - the memories slid into his mind.

The hero jolted at Epona's snort. He shook his head, thoughts tumbling away like fairy dust.

He'd come to the entrance to Faron Woods now. The pair paused, Link clambering into the saddle. With a sigh, he urged the horse on, and she trudged slowly at first over the uneven forest trail. He spotted more fairies lazily floating over Faron Spring, released there by the Great Fairy he met in the desert so long ago, back when Midna was with him.

It would be an understatement to say he missed her. She was his best friend. Ilia would seem like an obvious candidate, but he suspected the main focus of her friendship was Epona. He had no other close friends. That left Midna - witty, smart Midna, who knew what she had to do to save her world and, later, Link's. Her friendship had touched him deeply, and now it was gone. But Link had found a way to ease his sorrow.

Link nudged Epona, and she began to move faster over the flatter ground by Coro's shack. The sky was fading into pink at the fringes now. Dawn pressed closer. Link entered Hyrule Field. Time flew, and the sun rose hot and high.

He arrived at the southern gates of Castle Town without incident. Leaving Epona in a secluded patch of grass, he scurried into the city.

Link navigated through the bustling street, slipping into Agitha's alleyway, trading bugs for rupees, the hope that no one had recognized him bubbling in the back of his mind. Agitha, of course, wouldn't mention him to anyone. She had bugs to occupy her mind. Hopefully the trio of his bright-haired, bright-eyed fangirls - afforded to him through his feats in the STAR tent - wouldn't be around to spot him.

The hero stuck close to the edges of the stream of people until he found the merchant he was looking for. The stall had opened recently, selling art supplies, a rare occurrence in Hyrule. Unsurprisingly, everything was very pricy. Link bought the paints he needed, as well brushes and a sealant. Between his savings and Agitha's money, the pile of rupees he set in the beaming merchant's hands was only just big enough.

He hurried into Telma's, and showed the fiery woman his new paint. She nodded, looking over into the gloomy, unlit corner of the bar. "I see you're doing some painting." Telma glanced back at him. "If you'd like, you can paint in the alley by the door. Some art will do us all good."

Link smiled and darted outside, fingers aching to paint. He'd been practicing whenever he could just for this moment. For hours, he painted.

The city was only just dimming when he finished. Link smiled, the weight in his heart lifting at the sight of it. It was Midna, before she transformed, grinning as she stood on a blue and black portal, posing elegantly, orange background licking up behind her. Link walked up to the mural and stroked the lettering below it. Smiling, he turned away and walked through the dark city. He was going home.

The lettering read: "Don't be sad. The other world is around us, in the shadows and the nighttime. Our worlds will never be apart."


End file.
